Welcome to the Plants & H2O lab

Research in our “Plants & H2O” Lab at Cal State Fullerton addresses many aspects of the interactions between plants and water and has ranged in scope from the physiology of the water-conducting system of vascular plants (the xylem) to the structure and function of plant hydraulic systems and the role of plants in the global water cycle. The current research focus is on physiological mechanisms that allow water transport in xylem under negative pressure and specifically on how plants deal with air bubbles (embolisms) that can form in xylem during drought stress.

At the cellular and subcellular level, we study the roles of insoluble lipid surfactants in xylem function and the formation and dynamics of lipid-coated nanobubbles in xylem sap. Our research at the tissue-level addresses xylem osmoregulation and movement of water and solutes in xylem and between xylem and phloem, the other vascular system of plants. At the whole-plant level, current research addresses sap flow and its relationship to xylem embolisms and drought stress. All projects mentioned address both structure and function and include detailed studies of plant vascular anatomy. Another research aim is to develop plant-based measures of drought stress that can be used to regulate irrigation in horticulture, including avocado and citrus. Past research has addressed the depths of plant root systems and their relationship to water availability, especially at the global scale, and competition for water between plants. Our research has implication for water conservation and irrigation needs of woody plants used for landscaping and as fruit and nut crops

From left to right: Encelia farinosa stem colored with acid Fuchsin; E. farinosa xylem under confocal microscopy with acid Fuchsin in red and fructan crystals in blue, nanobubbles in xylem sap of Geijera parviflora; vessel wall of E. farinosa with FM1-43 dye; inter-vessel pits of Malosma laurina; a culm of the bamboo Neololaba atra under confocal microscopy with starch in red and cell walls in green.

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